Knockdown desk.



J. W. CAMPBELL.

KNGOKDOWN DESK. LPPLIOATION FILED 1153.24, 1909.

Patented A1'1g-30, 1910.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES W. CAMPBELL, OF GERMANTOWN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO FERGUSON BROS. MFG. CO., OF HOBOKEN, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

KNOCKDOWN DESK.

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES IV. CAiv1rBnLL,a citizen of the United States, and resident of Germantown, in the county of Columbia and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Knockdown Desk, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a knock down desk, with the object in view of providing a simple and inexpensive desk which may be conveniently folded for shipment or storage and which may be unfolded to form a stable and convenient desk for general use.

A practical embodiment of my invention is represented in the accompanying drawings, in which-- Figure 1 is a top plan view of the desk asit appears when set up for use, Fig. 2 is a View of the same in front elevation, Fig. 3 is a View of the same in side elevation, Fig. 4E is a View of the same in side elevation folded, Fig. 5 is a view in top plan folded, Fig. 6 is a vertical section in the plane of the line A-A of Fig. 2, and Fig. 7 is a similar section showing the parts folded.

The fixed frame of the desk consists of two uprights 1 and 2 connected with the top by a slat 3 set edgewise vertically and two slats at and 5 extending forwardly from the slat 3 at the upper and lower portions thereof, forming, together with the slat 3, a housing for the reception of the paper holder.

Atthe lower portion some distance above the ft of the uprights, the said uprights 1 and 2. are connected by a cross slat 6 set vertically and a narrow cross slat 7 projecting forwardly from the lower end of the slat 6.

On the outer faces and near the upper ends of the uprights 1 and 2, a pair of folding legs are pivoted, the said legs being denoted-by 8 and 9. Their lower ends are intended to swing forward into the position shown in Figs. 3 and 6 when the desk is unfolded, and back into the position shown in Figs. 4l, 5 and 7, when the desk is folded.

A book shelf, consisting of two sections 10 and 11, hinged together at 12,-is pivotally secured to the frame, the section 10 be tween the uprights 1 and 2 and the section 11 between the legs S and 9. IVhen the desk is unfolded for use, the sections 10 and 11 of the book-shelf rest in a horizontal plane and when the parts are folded, the hinged edges of the sections 10 and l1 may be moved upwardly, causing the lower face of Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 24, 1909.

Patented Aug. 30, 1910. Serial No. 485,395.

the section 11 to fold onto the lower face of the sect-ion ll() and the two sections to swing into a housed position between the uprights 11 and 2 against the slat 6 above the cross s at 7.

The desk table, denoted by 13, is supported at its back edges on a pair of links 141;, 15, the said links being pivoted at their lower ends to the inner faces of the uprights 1 and 2 and at their upper ends to the opposite ends of the table 13 near its back edge. The front edge of the table 13 is supported, when unfolded, by a pair of links 16, 17, pivoted at their upper ends to the inner faces of the uprights 1 and 2 and at their lower ends to the opposite end of the table 13 some distance forward of t-he position where the links 14, 15, are secured. IVhen in unfolded posit-ion for use, the back edge of the table 13 projects under the cross slat 5 and is limited so far as rearward movement is concerned by the walls of a pen and pencil box 18 iiXed to the top of the table 13 near its back edge.

The paper rack is denoted by 19 and rests at its lower end on the cross slat 5. It is capable of being folded back against the slat 3 or tilted forward so that access may be had to its top by means of a pair of bracket arms 20, 21, which are conveniently made of thin brass and are secured at their rear ends to the front face of the slat 3 and occupy positions in close Contact with the opposite ends of the rack 19, the forward ends of the said bracket arms 21 having a hook in which pins 22 on the opposite ends of the rack engage to keep the rack from tilting forwardly too far. I preferably make the bottom of the paper rack 19 o-n an incline so that it will rest flatly on the slat 5 when it is tilted forward for use although this is not necessary. I also prefer to shorten the paper rack sufficiently to provide a space 23, see Fig. 1, at one end for the location of an ink well.

In operation, assuming the parts to be in the position shown in Fig. 6, the desk may be folded into position for shipment or storage by lifting up on the front edge of the table 13 thereby causing' the link 17 to swing inwardly and the link 15 to swing outwardly and downwardly as shown in dotted lines Fig. 6 and finally swinging the table 13 flatwise rearwardly between the uprights 1 and 2, as shown in Fig. 7, the paper rack 19 being in the meantime pushed back by the table with its back wall flat against the front face of slat 3. In this position, the table 13 may be locked by means of a snap spring 2st provided with a tooth or pin 25 arranged to engage a retaining plate 26 on the front edge of the table. The legs 8 and 9 may then be folded back as already described into the position shown in Fig. 7, the whole desk occupying when so folded a thickness equal to the width of the uprights 1 and 2. lVhen the desk is to be unfolded for use, the parts are manipulated in the opposite direction, the whole operation taking but a moments time either to fold or unfold.

What I claim is 1. A knockdown desk comprising uprights connected by cross-slats, the said uprights forming the back legs of the desk, a projection extending forward from a cross slat at the upper portion of the uprights, a table, apair of links pivoted to the uprights and to which the inner edge of the table is pivoted, a pair of links pivoted to the uprights and to the free ends of which the table is pivoted at a point forward from the point where it is piyoted to the aforesaid links, and a pair of legs pivoted at their upper ends to the uprights and connected with the uprights near their lower ends by hinged sections, the projection from the cross slat forming a retaining stop for the back end of the table when in position for use and the links being piVOted to the uprights at such points with respect to the table that the latter may swing downwardly at its rear end and upwardly at its forward end and then bodily rearwardly back into position between the uprights.

2. A knockdown desk comprising uprights 4p,

connected by cross slats, a projection eX tending forwardly from the upper cross slat, a paper holder movably supported in forwardly tilting position on said forwardly extending projection and projecting beyond the same, a table connected to said uprights by pairs of links, one pair being` pivoted to the rear portion of the table and to the uprights below the said forward projection and the other pair being pivoted to the central portion of the table and to the uprights above said forward projection, whereby the rear edge of the table may be swung downwardly and the forward edge upwardly and then bodily backward, tilting the paper holder back against the cross slatas the table reaches its folded position between the uprights, the said uprights forming back legs w for the desk and a pair of front legs pivoted to the uprights at their upper ends and connected with the uprights intermediate of their upper and lower ends by a hinged connection, whereby they may be folded into the transverse plane of the uprights.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing 

